Jackie Chan attends the opening ceremony of "China Story", tears for the opening ceremony


Jackie Chan (center) and Yu Dan (right) attend the opening ceremony of "China Story" on August 9. Photo by Cao Ji



Lei Yulan (right), Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, unveils the "Guangdong Hut". Photo by Cao Jili


    At the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China presented a beautiful freehand painting of Chinese civilization to the world. Just a few hours after the emotion and passion had not yet cooled, another wonderful Chinese legend kicked off in the public area of the Olympic Park. A large-scale cultural exhibition called "China Story" was officially opened in the public area of the Olympic Park on the morning of August 9. Leaders and representatives of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee and 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country, as well as stars such as Jackie Chan, Zhou Huajian, Mok Wen Wei, Yu Dan, sociologists and 30 representatives of folk artists appeared on the same stage to tell Chinese stories.


  Jackie Chan burst into tears at the opening ceremony


  At 10 am, the Chinese story and culture exhibition area in the public area of the Olympic Park unfolded a huge scroll with seals engraved with the names of 30 provinces, regions and cities, which dyed the beautiful and quiet public areas in the past with a cultural atmosphere. During the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, more than 30 "auspicious cloud huts" will display China’s national cultural heritage and the vibrant ethnic and folk cultures of various regions through live handicraft performances and audience participation and interaction. Stars and folk artists such as Jackie Chan and Yu Dan became the biggest highlights of the opening ceremony.


  Jackie Chan and Yu Dan, who have made Hollywood famous for Chinese kung fu and become the pride of all Chinese people, and who have become famous promoters of the revival of Sinology in the new century by promoting traditional culture, when the two heavyweight guests gathered at the opening ceremony to talk about "China’s story in the eyes of the world", they collided with a lot of ideological sparks. "We should build a small courtyard and put some things on it so that people around the world can see our Chinese culture." Jackie Chan said that he was present at the opening ceremony the night before, and he cried when the torch was lit. "This is not the first time I have cried for the Beijing Olympics. As a Chinese, the Olympic Games are held in my own country, and on such an occasion, no one can suppress the excitement. The Chinese are good, and the opening ceremony is a perfect start." Like Jackie Chan, Yu Dan, a scholar, said the opening ceremony would give the world a better understanding of Chinese culture. "I hope that Chinese culture can use the platform of the Olympic Games to go to the world and let the world see the real wonders of China."


  Zhou Huajian and his mixed-race son sing on stage


  "Everyone is equally useful. Volunteer, invariably. Forget yourself, and be open-minded. I am a star, embellishing the sky…" As a special pair of volunteers at the opening ceremony, Zhou Huajian and his son took the stage to sing the volunteer theme song "I am a star". Referring to his mixed-race son Zhou Houan, Zhou Huajian was very proud. "We are both volunteers for the Olympic Games. Before the opening of the Olympic Games, he had already reported to his assigned area – ‘China Story’. I heard from the staff that he was very diligent. He helped my brother and sister who were filming documentaries carry the machines every day and went out on location, which made my father a lot of light." Joining Zhou Huajian and others at the Olympic Park to help promote Chinese culture during the Olympic Games, Mok Wenwei and Sun Nan also sang passionately on stage, kicking off the "China Story".


  According to reports, in the more than 30 auspicious cloud huts in the Chinese Story Exhibition Area of the Olympic Public Area, the best national intangible cultural heritage retained by various provinces, regions and cities will be highlighted in a space of 60 to 80 square meters. Jiangsu brocade worth tens of millions, wonderful and moving Kunqu Opera performances, interesting Shaanxi shadow puppets, hidden entrances in Chongqing face-changing, colorful and fragrant sugar paintings… The "Chinese Story" cultural exhibition activities use novel and diverse forms of display such as pictures, real objects, multimedia audio-visual arts, combined with live handicraft performances and audience participation and interaction, to vividly tell friends from all over the world about the beauty of Chinese culture.


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  Among the more than 30 auspicious cloud huts in the "Chinese Story" exhibition area, the Guangdong hut of "Yueyun Chaofeng" is quite eye-catching. In the hut, audiences from all over the world can enjoy exquisite gold wood carvings, tide embroidery, wide embroidery, wide color, ceramics, Duan inkstone and other art treasures, and experience the long-standing Lingnan culture. That morning, Vice Governor Lei Yulan attended the opening ceremony of China Story, unveiling the "Guangdong hut".


  Among the exhibits, it was revealed, was a giant gold wood carving from Chaozhou, the "treasure of the town house" of "Guangdong Hut" – about 1.8 meters high and more than 2 meters wide, with the theme of the "Bird’s Nest" in the National Stadium, showing the moving scene of birds coming and dancing around the "Bird’s Nest".

Editor in charge: Li Dan